Creek May Raise Water, Sewer Rates

COCONUT CREEK - — The City Commission is expected this week to vote on a plan that would increase water and sewer rates over three years. If approved, the new rates would begin in October.

Broward County is raising its utility rates, so the city must pass the increase on to residents.

Here's how the new rates would work:

The average single-family home is now charged a $5.63 basic monthly service rate for water plus $1.40 for each 1,000 gallons of water used. If commissioners pass the rate hike in its present form, the same homeowner would be charged $3.56 for basic monthly service. Charges for actual water use, however, would rise to $2.27 per 1,000 gallons.

The sewer rate plan is similarly structured: a decrease in the basic service charge, but increases based on how many gallons of sewage a homeowner produces. As with water rates, those who use more will face proportionately higher charges.

"Increases are never painless, but by spreading it out over three years' time, it's less painful," City Manager John Kelly said.

The proposed rate hike is the city's response to steady increases in utility rates by the county. It's the county that operates Coconut Creek's utility system, and for years the county has been raising its rates by 5 percent annually. The reason? To pay for stricter testing and more chemical treatment called for by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The city has been absorbing those rate hikes since 1990, the last time it raised its utility rates.

But now, Kelly said, there's no choice but to pass the increase on to residents. The city must raise its rates by at least 19.6 percent just to meet the county's higher costs. As proposed, the increase is designed so those who have higher usage pay a higher percentage of the rate hike, said David Rivera, the city's financial operations manager.

"The city is trying to instill conservation measures," Rivera said. "If you use it, you pay for it.

"The average user will not be affected very much," he said.

The City Commission meets Thursday at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 4800 West Copans Road.